Work-holding and guiding mechanism for sewing machines



I. SUTKER arch 9,, 1948 WORK'FHOLDING AND GUIDING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Aug. 21, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet l 0 fl 8 6 9 7. 0 0 7. 1 5 5 m. 0 4| M 3% 6 u 4. in .m"@@ Fa. a E #0 1 A m 0 4 1 Q 5 .6 m W fl "w R 1 I} v 6 @l 2 2 6 M M INVENTOR. IRVING SUTKEE.

March 9, 1948. l. SUTKER 2,437,624

WORK-HOLDING AND GUIDING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Aug. 21, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR. IR V/NG SUT'KER.

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V A nae/v5 If l. SUTKER are 9, 1948.

WORK-HOLDING AND GUIDING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES s Sheets-Sheet '5 Filed Aug. 21, 1945 INVENTOR. IR V/NG S UTKER. BY (Z e ,G

ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 9, 1948 WORK-HOLDING AND GUIDING MECHA- NISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Irving Sutker, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application August 21, 1945, Serial No. 611,734

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a work holder and guide for sewing machines. It is particularly directed to a device for applying continuous spiral or helical stitching to a hat brim, sleeve, or the like piece of fabric.

An object of this invention is to provide in a device of the character described, means for keeping the successive turns of stitching equally spaced apart.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a device of the character described, a holder on which is mounted a work piece to be stitched spirally, means to move the holder together with the work piece, transversely of the direction of stitching, and means to vary the speed of movement of the holder, whereby to retain the successive turns of stitching substantially equally spaced apart.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described so arranged that the hat brim or like article may be stitched either from the outside inwardly, or from the inside outwardly, so that one brim may be stitched from the outside inwardly, and removed from the machine, and then another brim may be placed on the holder and stitched from the inside outwardly, means being provided to automatically stop the transverse movement of the holder each time the holder reaches a predetermined position, moving in either direction, to permit replacement of the stitched brims.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a device of the character described, a work holder, means to move the work holder in one direction and then in the opposite direction transversely as the work thereon is advanced by the sewing machine, a reversible switch to control the power drive for moving the holder, and means to throw the switch to neutral from either direction, at the end of each sewing operation.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a strong, durable and compact device of the character described, which shall be smooth and positive in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to assemble and manipulate, and yet practical and efilcient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in th features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claim.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is shown various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a device embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the work holder removed from its support.

Fig. 3 is a partial perspective view of the switch and its control.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the switch and its control.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of the transverse screw and illustrating a modified construction.

Fig.1! is an elevational view illustrating the use of the invention on a tubular work piece.

Fig. 9 is an elevational view of the invention with a modification of the work-supporting means.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, l0 designates a device embodying the invention and adapted to be used in conjunction with a sewing machine H, of usual construction,

The machine ll comprises a head 12, a base l3, and is provided with a presserfoot l5.

The device I0 comprises a horizontal base [6 disposed below the base l3 of the sewing machine.

Mounted on said base 16 are a pair of parallel brackets l1 supporting a pair of transverse parallel rotary shafts l8 and I9. On shaft I8 is a drive pulley 20. The base l6 may be provided with a notch or cut-away 2| so that a belt around the pulley 20 may pass downwardly to a power drive.

At one end of shaft I8 is a pulley 22. On one end of shaft I9 is a pulley 23 for the purpose hereinafter appearing. On the other end of shaft I9 is a cone pulley 24. On the base I6 is another pair of parallel brackets 25. Supported on the brackets 25 is a fixed guide rod 26 parallel to shafts l8 and I9. Rotatably supported on said brackets 25 is a shaft 28 parallel to guide r d 26. At one end of shaft 28 is a pulley 29 aligned with pulley 23. Interconnecting the pulleys 23, 29 is a belt 30. Supported on base 16 is a bearing lSa carrying a shaft 3|. Fixed on shaft 3! is a pulley 32 aligned with pulley 22, and interconnecting the pulleys 22, 32 is a belt 33. Fixed on shaft 3!, adjacent pulley 32, is a cone pulley 34 tapering oppositely to the pulley 24 and cooperating therewith. Interconnecting the pulleys 24 and 34 is a belt 35. It will now be understood that the drive for shaft 28 is through pulley 20, shaft l8, pulley 22, belt 33, pulley 32, pulley 34, belt 35, pulley 24, shaft I 9, belt 30, and pulley 29.

Shaft 28 is formed between the brackets 25 with a feed screw 49, which has a thread which increases in pitch from-the right end to the left end, looking at F g.2. The screw may have a plurality of pitches at dilferent parts thereof, for example three pitches. For instance, the thread at the right is of less pitch; at the middle the thread is of increased pitch; and at the left, the thread has still greater pitch.

Slidably mounted on the guide rod ZE'isa block 43. Attached to the guide block 43 and extending forwardly therefrom is an arm 44.

Attached to arm 44 is a plate 45 formed .atits lower end with a thread engaging edge or portion 46 engaging the threads of screw 40.

Screwed to the upper-end of plate 45 is a plate or work holder 41, Workholderil'l may be attached to the plate 45 by means .of screws 49. The holder 41 may be circular and is, formed with a radial notch 50, registering with the base l3 of the sewing machine. On the upper side of the holder4l and adjacent one edge of t-he notch 50 are a pair of headed screws-5|. Slidably mounted on plate 41 are bars .52, each-formed with a slot 53 to receive the stem of one-of the screws 5|, At the inner=ends of the bars 52.are screws 54, on each of which is pivotally mounted an angularly adjustable arm 55. .Thehat'brim 56 or other work to be stitched, is placed onthe work holder 41. Th bars 52 may be adjusted and the arms'55 swung into overlyingposition to engage the work to retain it on the work holder. The presserfoot 15 of the sewing' machine'overlies the'hat brim 56.

It will now be understood that as thesewing machine operates, the work holder willbe moved from either right to left, or from left toright, depending on the direction of rotation of the drive. Such movementris due tot-he fact that plate 45 engages the feed screw 49 and therefore moves member :44 and block-43 to the :right or left. dependin on direction of rotation of the screw.

Attached to the outer end-afarm 44isa weight 99 Which may be lifted 'to disengage plate 45 from the screw 49. Fixed-to block 43 is:a pushpull rod 9| provided with a handle-.62 .atitsfree end. When the weight '69 and hence the arm 44 is lifted, handle 62 may be pushed or pulled to adjust the holder to any 'desired-positionalon feed screw 49. Arm may then be lowered to again engage plate 45 with the screw 40.

It will now beunderstood that spiral stitching fi5may beapplied to the hat brim or'other work 56. During the stitching operation, the hat brim is moved round .and round, and due to movement of the work holder transversely, the stitching is spiral. 'Due to -the fact that the pitch of screw 49 ,decreasesfrom left t right, the successive turns or windings'of the-stitching l be q lly spaced ap The varian of the pitch of thescrewyis .so arran edasto-provi e for substantially eq ally-spaced apart windings or turns of stitching.

The drive for pulley '20 i by means of a versible motor. For thisreasonthe stitching 65 may be applied from the inside of the brim toward the-outside, or from the outside to the inside. To save operating time, a brim is placed on the holder 47 and stitched, for instance, from the inside to the outside. The machine is stopped, the brim removed, and another brim placed on the holder, and the latter is then stitched from the outside to the inside, Then the stitched brim is removed, another brim placed on the holder, and stitched from the inside to the outside.

The motor for the drive is controlled by a micro-switch 19 provided with a switch arm ll. Switch arm ll is in neutral position when it is directed as shown in Fig. 4. When the arm H is swung to the right, the drive is in one -.direction,-and when said switch arm is moved 90 to" the left of neutral, the drive is in an oppositedirection.

Means is provided to automatically swing the switch arm 1! to neutral position after each stitching operation, regardless of direction of drive. To this end there is mounted on base It, a bracket 89 fixed thereto in any suitable manner, Bracket 85 isprovided with a pair of upstanding ears BI, 82 formed with aligned openings 83. Slidably mounted in said openings is a rod 84. Fixed to the rear end of rod 84 is a collar 85, and fixed to the front end of said rod is a transverse rod 89. Fixed to the ends of rod 88 are forwardly projecting arms 81 and 88. On rod 84 and disposed between ears 8!, 82 is a collar 89. Collar 89, has a fiat under edge 99 to prevent its rotation and a part circular peripheral edge 9|. It is formed on one end of the flat undersurface 99 with a notch 92 for the purpose hereinafter appearing.

Collar 89 is fixed to the rod 84 by set screw 93. Interposed between collar 89 and ear 8| is a coil compression spring 94 to urge rod 84 forwardly. On bracket 80 are a-pair of headed rivets or pins 95, Loosely mounted on the stems of said pins 95 is an angle plate 97. Plate 91 has a-horizontal portion 98 and a vertical portion 99. The plate 91 has a small, rocking movement-due to the fact that the stems of-the rivets 96 pass through openings in wall 98 which are oversized relative tothe-stems, but smaller than the heads of the rivets, Below wall-98 is a leaf spring I99 which tends to swing the rocker angle plate 91 in a clockwise directionlooking at Fig, 5. In the position shown in 5,.one edgeof wall '98 contacts collar 89 just above notch 92 to retain arms 81-88 out of contact with the switch arm 1 I.

Fixed to arm 44 is a push rod ltll, one end of which is in alignment with wall 99 of rocker plate 91. When the work holder moves to the left, push rod {BI is adapted to engage wall 99 of rocker plate 97 to swing the-rocker plate in a counterclockwise direction for moving wall 98 into notch 92, thereby permitting spring94 to move red 84 forwardly so that one of the arms 81, 88 will engage switch arm 'll and move the same to neutral position to stop the operation of the sewing machine and transverse drive. The stitched hat brim 59 may then be removed and a new one put on the holder. The switch arm is then moved manually to reverse position and the next brim is then stitched in an opposite direction. Attached to arm 44 is a tube I05 through which extends a cord, wire or other flexible member I68. Fixed to base I6 is an upstandingpost I91 and at the upper end of this post is a curved guide tube I98. One end of the tube is adjacent the upper end of wall 99 of rocker plate 91. The cord I95 passes through tube I98 and is attached to the upper end of wall 99. At the outer end of the cord I96 isa head or knot H0. As the work holder moves to the right, tube I will engage the head or knot I III at the end of the stitching operation, thereby pulling cord I06 and causing rocker plate 91 to again be swung in a counterclockwise direction for again releasing rod 84, thereby again moving the switch handle H to neutral position. It will be noted that before the switch handle II is swung to the right or left, bar 84 is pushed back until collar 88 clears wall 98, thereby permitting spring H351 to swing the rocker plate to a position where it will engage the collar 89.

In Fig. 7 there is shown a, screw Q'I illustrating a modified form of feed screw. The feed screw M is conical in shape, being smaller at the right end and of greater diameter at the left end. The axis for cone screw 4| is at an inclination and the top of the cone is in horizontal position as shown in the drawing. With such construction likewise the transverse movement will be such that the spacing of the turns of stitching will be substantially equal. The linear speed of stitching is constant and with cone screw 4|, the speed of transverse movement increases from right to left.

In Fig. 8 the work holder 41 is provided with an upstanding support I20. At the upper end of the support I20 is a roller I2I. With such construction a cylindrical work piece or sleeve I22 may be stitched helically. With such construction the transverse screw has one pitch throughout.

In Fig. 9, means is provided to stitch a irustoconical hat brim I25. To this end the work holder 41 is provided, adjacent its outer end with an upstanding support I26. At the upper end of support I26 is a U-shaped hook I21 adapted to engage the work piece. Thus one end of the work piece is down on the work table at the point of stitching, whereas the other end is held up so that the work piece is at an inclination to the work table.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

A device of the character described comprising a base, a screw mounted thereon for rotation, means to rotate the screw, a guide shaft parallel to said screw, a member slidably mounted on the guide shaft, means on said member to disengageably engage the threads of the screw, a work holder on said member, a handle on said member to facilitate the swinging of said member about the axis of said shaft for disengaging the screw engaging means relative to the screw. the means for rotating the screw being controlled by a reversing switch, a rod slidably mounted on said base, said rod having a pair of arms, one arm being adapted to move the switch from one operating position to neutral, and the other arm being adapted to move the switch from reverse operating position to neutral position, spring means to urge said rod to a position for moving the switch to neutral position, means to retain said rod in retracted position, and means to release said retaining means as said member reaches a predetermined position in one direction, and said means also serving to release said retaining means as said member reaches a predetermined position in an opposite direction.

IRVING SUTKER.

REFERENGES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

